Home: Safe and Sound

Hello All!

We have made it home! Although it was a very long trip home, it went very smoothly. We started out our travels at 4AM Costa Rican time, when the bus left Hotel Vesuvio. We traveled to the airport where we had to wait in the first of many long lines to pay our departure tax to Costa Rica ($26). The process getting through security and customs was very smooth and our students were great representatives of Schenectady High School and the College of Saint Rose. We arrived EARLY to the Capital Region!!! I believe everyone was home and in bed by 12:30-1:00AM, which is fantastic. Parents were SO EXCITED to see their children. It was a wonderful thing to see the students reunited with their parents after a week of being away.

Now, we are all back in school and are adjusting to life back in the United States. Some of that adjustment includes the stomach bug for some of us :-( A real bummer to finish the trip. However, in the grand scheme of things, when it is all said and done, this trip will be an incredible memory that we will share for the rest of our lives. Truly, life changing.

I, Mr. Servant, will be creating a collection of pictures and a commerative video for all those the went on the trip. Thank you all for following the blog and thank you for your tremendous support throughout this entire experience.

Pura Vida!!!

-SHS WC and CSR WC

Day 7: Cafe Britt and Last Full Day in Costa Rica

Hola Amigos!

Today was our last full day in Costa Rica and was one that we will never forget. We started out the day with our typical breakfast and then we made our way to Cafe Britt, where we went on a tour of a coffee plantation. Thankfully, the trip to the plantation was only 30 minutes. Much different from all our other excursions! Anyways, the tour of the coffee plantation was very informational, but it was hilarious and very entertaining!

Our tour started out with a couple of tour guides explaining the process of how the coffee plants were planted, what the coffee comes from in the plant, and other interesting facts about the harvesting of coffee. The basket that this man is holding, can hold up to 25 pounds of coffee fruits. Once it is reduced to the beans, it will only be about 20% of that weight. Each basket yields about 4 bags of coffee. You can tell by the expression on his face that we had fun with these guides!

After the field presentation, we went into the processing plant where we got to see how the coffee is processed from off the plant to the bag. The roasters they had were huge! Check it out...

Following the tour of the plant, we went into a theater where the guides explained how "cuppers" test out the coffee after it is roasted. They even put on a show for us to explain the history of coffee and how it made its way to different parts of the world. VERY interesting and funny :-)

After the show was over, we were able to visit the Cafe Britt Shop, where we were able to purchase all kinds of coffee and things related to coffee. Such a nice place! After that, Cafe Britt provided us with a nice buffet lunch.

When we returned from Cafe Britt, we had a nice, relaxed afternoon at the hotel. Some of us were able to go into San Jose, where some of the girls were able to visit a free market for last minute souvenirs. 

To finish off the trip in Costa Rica, the SHS Women's Choir spent our evening with a nice dinner at a restaurant called Cafe Mundo. This was a wonderful time for all. Ms. Hawk gave a final speech to the girls that was incredibly moving and there was not a dry eye in the restaurant. We truly thought about how life changing this experience was for all. The College of St. Rose Women's Chorale spent their evening in a few different places, but finished off the trip with some great memories.

There will be one more blog (probably Monday morning) to wrap up the trip. Tomorrow, we are leaving the Hotel Vesuvio at 4:00AM to catch our flight. We do not plan to arrive back to the Capital District until about 1:00-2:00AM. 

See you all soon! Hasta luego!

-SHS WC and CSR WC

Day 6: Arenal Volcano and Tabacon Hot Springs

Buonos a Todos!

Today was another amazing day! I think everyone on this trip agrees that today was "Costa Rican Paradise". We started out our day a little bit later, so we all got to sleep in just a little bit. We left San Jose at about 9:00AM and Vinny, our guide for the day, gave another wonderful tour as we made our way to Tabacon. It's amazing how much there is to know about Costa Rica!

Our trip to Tabacon had two stops during the course of a four hour travel time (yes, it's a long trip). The first stop was at a souvenir market and to see hydro-powered machines that make giant wagon wheels. These wagons were painted with a variety of vibrant colors with amazing designs. After this, we moved on to a place with an amazing garden. Check THIS out....

All of the bushes in this garden were carved out into some pretty artistic shapes and figures.

More bushes...but look at that beautiful church behind! It is completely made out of steel.









After our stop at the gardens, we started the last leg of our trip to La Fortuna, where the Arenal Volcano was, as well as the Tabacon Hot Springs. This was another long and windy trip, but after a couple hours of traveling, we saw this....

How incredible?! We learned a lot about this volcano from Vinny. According to him:
-the Arenal Volcano is the only volcano in Costa Rica that is perfectly conical in shape.
-this volcano is one of many in the Pacific "Ring of Fire"
-the volcano is roughly 1,600 meters high
-the volcano has "two faces": one with green vegetation (inactive side) and one with grey rock and lava (the active side)
-the volcano extends to the side with two other sub-volcanos called "volcanic relics". The natives call these together, the "Sleeping Indian".
-the volcano is still active and is only about 40 years old. The first eruption was in 1968.
-the Volcano has its own micro-climate, meaning that in one moment you see what I showed you first, and then within 30 minutes you see this...

There were many other facts he shared with us. But, that is the idea of what he talked about. Not long after our view of the volcano came the Tabacon Hot Springs.

The Tabacon Grand Spa and Thermal Resort is one of the worlds leading small hotels. It has a five-star rating and people travel from all over the world to enjoy this incredible experience. Lets take a look at some of what the resort offers!

Right away, you see the jaw-dropping hot springs that are just inviting you in to a complete state of relaxation. Soon after, you notice all of the beautiful green vegetation and beautiful varieties of flowers. There are a variety of paths and bridges to get you around the resort...

The resort also offers hot and cold swimming areas. One of them actually has a slide!

So as you can see, this place is nothing short of a five-star resort. The resort served us a high quality lunch and dinner, both buffets that had a wonderful selection. Some of the members of the group decided to get massages that were to die for (cough...Hawk...cough). The girls from SHS decided to get together and collect money to give to Ms. Hawk for her massage at the Hot Springs. This was a gift for her birthday (March 12th). She was incredibly appreciative :-)

We spent the entire day at the Tabacon Hot Springs and left for home just after 8:00PM. Such a relaxing,  yet rejuvenating experience!

Tomorrow is our last full day in Costa Rica. We are coming home soon, parents! We will go to Cafe Britt, a major coffee plantation in Costa Rica and then we will visit the free market during the afternoon. We will then have a last dinner out and return home to pack for our trip home on Sunday. 

Come back and visit the blog tomorrow! Adios!

-SHS WC and CSR WC

Day 5: Jaco Beach and Universidad Veritas

Buenos to all our family, friends and school colleagues!

Today was simply fantastic. We had a wonderful, relaxed, sun-filled day at Jaco Beach, later followed by an outstanding performance at the Universidad Veritas.

We started out our day bright and early with our tour guide, Charlton, who shared some valuable information about Costa Rica, while on our way to the Beach/Resort. He was able to share with us about some historical landmarks as well as some of the business and economic establishments that keep Costa Rica running. When we got out of the city and into the mountains, this is the kind of view we had...

Just breathtaking mountains and vegetation!

At one point in our trip to the resort, we actually stopped and walked across a bridge. Under which, there were CROCODILES! They were really cool :-) Sorry we don't have a picture yet for you.

When we got to Jaco Beach, we were in paradise....

I know exactly what you're thinking...."Rough Life!" Not so much. We were able to enjoy the warm Pacific ocean, riding the waves and enjoying the grand view. We also had the luxury of a pool in the resort as well. It was truly the best that paradise can offer.

Look! We even made a new friend :-) (Yes, he is real and very friendly)

After spending a few hours relaxing and swimming in the sun (some of us spent a little too much time in the sun...ouch) We made our trip back and prepared for our concert at the Universidad Veritas.

When we arrived at the University, Andres, our friend from the other day, gave us a really cool tour of the campus....

This was a great way for our students to see what higher education is like in Costa Rica. The Universidad Veritas has some of the latest, state-of-the-art facilities and they put it to great use! Some of the things we saw were:

-Library

-Multiple computer labs both Mac and PC

-3D Design Studio and Art displays

-TV and Video Production facilities

-Their wonderfully designed auditorium, where we would be performing....

Acoustic panels and Bose Sound Equipment

The view from the back...

The girls had a brief while to warm-up and get used to singing in the venue and then we waited for what would be an outstanding final performance of the trip. This performance will truly never be forgotten by anyone involved on this trip, especially those singing. Here is a picture of the whole group after the completion of the concert...

A fantastic group of people representing the USA :-)

After the concert, we were given a pizza dinner followed by an awesome DANCE CLASS! This was such a treat for all of us...

Soon after the class was over, we made our way back to the hotel to crash after a long day of Costa Rican fun. For tomorrow, we have an even LONGER day planned. We will be taking a tour of the Arenal Volcano and the Tabacon Hot Springs. We are leaving at 9AM and we don't plan to return until about 11PM. This tour should have some pretty fantastic pictures too! Check back soon!

Pura Vida (pure life, a popular Costa Rican saying)

-SHS WC and CSR WC

 

Day 4: La Paz Waterfalls and Performance

Hola from Costa Rica!

What a WILD day! Today was our opportunity to go and visit the La Paz Waterfalls in the rainforest.

Although the waterfalls were absolutely beautiful, our experience was far more than just that. This place had an amazing collection of tropical birds, frogs, jungle cats, butterflies, snakes, etc. It was great to see our students learning and interacting with the animals and environment. This was a fun yet educational experience! Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what we saw today...

This picture is the view down the side of 1 of 5 waterfalls at La Paz.

This one was called "White Magic" and it is 120 feet high!


The next is ONLY 83 feet. Breathtaking to say the least!

A few SHS WC girls on the waterfall pathway....

Dr. Eppink enjoying a visit with one of the toucans!

St. Rose and SHS girls enjoying the Hummingbirds

One of many beautiful butterflies...

A jaguar hanging out on a rock. Not to much earlier, this wild cat was fighting with the other one in the cage. It was pretty intense!

Natalia hanging out with some bulls












That was just a few of a TON of pictures that everyone took. The only way to really understand this experience is by seeing the pictures. When we get home, we will put together a compilation of everyones pictures so that everyone can have them. A great way to keep the memories alive!

In our Day 3 post, we said that our performance was at the Universidad Veritas, but it was actually at the Alajuelita Christian Church. Sorry about any confusion!

In any event, the concert was just as amazing if not better than the first one. This concert was truly special because of the rarity of the event. The area we performed in is one of the less well off parts of Costa Rica and as a result, they do not get to experience a lot of visitors like us. They were very appreciative of our gift of music to them. How about a couple pictures?....

Tomorrow should be a little bit more relaxed for us. We plan to have a day of sun and relaxation! Then we will have our performance at the Universidad Veritas. From what we keep hearing, we are highly regarded by those that we have performed for, being described as "magnificent!" What a great impression for the Costa Ricans to have of us?!

Anyways, you'll hear from us again tomorrow!

Adios amigos!

-SHS WC and CSR WC

Day 3: Performance at St. Francis High School

Buenos! from San Jose...

Today was another successful day, that the whole group is extremely proud of. We started our day with another great breakfast provided by the hotel. Soon after that, we dug right into to preparing and warming up for what would be a great performance at St. Francis High School....

CSR WC and SHS WC warming up in the chapel at St. Francis

The College of St. Rose Women's Chorale directed by the wonderful Dr. Joseph Eppink started off the concert with a couple of pieces that were very well received by our audience. Soon after, the Schenectady High School Women's Choir stepped up under the direction of Krista Hawk. Not to anyones surprise, they did a wonderful job as well. The two ensembles combined throughout the concert to give the audience a treat that they were SO APPRECIATIVE of! The students at St. Francis were very excited to have us and we were welcomed with open arms. Both choirs did a great job of representing the United States to a very high level. 

Enjoy a couple more pictures of the combined choir.....

After the performance, the school was excited to provide us with some entertainment of their own. We were able to watch, sing to and dance with a Kindergarten music class! It was a fantastic experience for all. Then the St. Francis Rock Club performed two songs for us that were extremely well done. The musical exchange that our students had today was simply priceless and will be remembered for a lifetime.

Dancing and singing with the Kindergarteners! 

The St. Francis Rock Club performs for us! They played Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning"!

Next, the Universidad Veritas provided us will lunch at a restaurant called "Jalisco". While we were here, Andre, a representative from the University gave us a great presentation about the possibilities for studying abroad in Costa Rica. It was very informative and I'm sure it got our students thinking about what opportunities they might want to take advantage of in the future....

Our lunch venue for today...

Andre and his powerpoint presentation about the opportunities at Veritas!

Finally, we finished out our day relaxing in the sun, spending some time walking and shopping in downtown San Jose and enjoying a very well done dinner at the hotel.

Tomorrow's day will be another long one! In the morning we visit the La Paz Waterfall and later on in the evening, we perform for the Universidad Veritas. Check back tomorrow for some "sure to be" amazing pictures of the rainforest, waterfall and our performance.

Hasta luego! (See you later!)

-SHS WC and CSR WC 

Day 2: Tour of San Jose

Hello to all our family and friends back in the United States!

Our first full day in San Jose was a blast! First of all, it started out with wonderful scrambled eggs, rice and beans, pineapple and other assorted foods for breakfast. It was delicious! The weather is everything we expected and more. Beautiful sunshine and, somehow, just the right amount of humidity.

After breakfast, we took a coach bus tour of San Jose with Costa Rican Tours. They were simply wonderful. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and was able to answer all the questions that our students had to ask. 

The picture to the left shows us waiting for the tour bus to arrive.

After just a short while, our first stop was the Teatro Nacional (National Theater)....

A beautiful establishment and representation of Costa Rican culture, this theater was completed in 1897.

Inside this theater was a lot of impressive architecture and paintings that are very symbolic of the Costa Rican culture. Here are some pictures for you to envision something that is very difficult to give justice to with a simple description...

A painting on the ceiling that is also on the Costa Rican currency 5000 colones. This painting shows the hard working people of Costa Rica with bananas, coffee, etc.

Anasia and MaeAnna next to an impressive statue on the second floor of the theater. You can see in the background, the impressive gold trim, that is actually a reduced amount of what used to be on the walls. They removed some after people started stealing it (not surprising!).

The skillfully painted ceiling of the theater with a chandelier that was actually donated by France.

Between the Teatro Nacional and our next stop, we were able to walk around San Jose with our tour guide. While on our way, we were able to get a great group shot! Check it out!

Our next stop was very impressive as well. It was called - Museos: Banco Central de Costa Rica. This was a museum that displayed a lot of Costa Rica's Pre-Columbian artifacts and art. Here are more pictures for your enjoyment :-)

Pre-Columbian artifacts made of stone

Gold jewelry worn by the indigenous people before the arrival of Christopher Columbus.

After a great experience at the museum, we did even more touring on the coach bus! It was simply a long day of finding out how amazing San Jose really is. After our tour, Costa Rican Tours included a meal at a restaurant called Nuestra Tierra. This was a very nice restaurant where we were actually serenaded by some local musicians. What a treat! Here are a couple pictures....

Our Serenaders :-)

Chicken Fajitas, Rice and Tortilla Chips. Mmmm, so tasty!

So, after a long day we had a really great group meeting to recap the day. We talked about how many great things are happening on this trip. The girls are very respectful, making responsible choices and are practicing safety in how they present themselves in public. 

Tomorrow is a very exciting day because we will be singing our FIRST PERFORMANCE!!! This performance will be taking place at Saint Francis High School. We hope to bring you another exciting post tomorrow evening so, stay tuned!

Hasta la proxima vez! (Until next time!)

-SHS WC and CSR WC